thinkBox by Karian and Box

edition four: 2012

PROVOKING THOUGHT GENERATING DISCUSSION ENGAGING EMPLOYEES DELIVERING RESULTS

Latest trends in employee engagement Special Report 2012

The role of line managers How managers can help to motivate and mobilise employees Also in this edition… \ Discretionary effort and how to measure it \ The games Boards play How gaming can improve understanding \ The busy fool Why doing less but better is key

AND

KARIAN BOX

thinkBox

thinkBox what’s inside

Soaring sales JLP bucks the trend of doom and gloom on the high street

p e ke m l a c an d

n o y r r ca kIng al t Keep calm and carry on talking

Regular conversations between managers and employees are where the holy grail of real employee engagement takes place

All employees are not equal Using employee segmentation can play a key role in making sure the right message gets to the right people at the right time

20 26

Getting your Discretionary effort – aligning head in the game Simulation games can play a key role for success in helping employees understand Creating the right focus and getting more from employees is what effective employee communications is all about

organisational strategy and change

What’s inside

A word from the editor Ghassan Karian Founder, Karian and Box ghassan@karianandbox.com

PORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPEC

Latest trends in employee engagement The views of two million employees analysed: what are the latest trends in employee engagement?

Book reviews Good reads on how to lead and engage employees

The Busy Fool – and how not to be one

Welcome to the new edition of thinkBox. I once met a communications vice-president who said to me that he had changed career from being a corporate lawyer to becoming a communicator. He was an older guy and at first it seemed a strange move, but as he spoke his passion for communications and its ability to change business culture shone through. But the thing he found most frustrating was attending board meetings where his fellow executives started listing their achievements: ‘Profits are up’; ‘Sales are flat’; ‘We are close to making this acquisition’. And then his business president’s gaze would fall on him. As he began the summary, colleagues would start shifting papers, putting away documents and pens. They simply weren’t interested. He told them about all his department had done – media briefings, town halls, newsletters, brochures and the list went on. The problem was that he had nothing tangible to give them. There was no evidence of outcome, only of input. Measurement and evaluation of communications was in its infancy then. He knew he had to do something. At first, he started to introduce new methodologies. As the months rolled on, he had a growing set of metrics around employee engagement and key message retention. There was no blinding epiphany for the Board (there never is) but gradually he got their attention and he did it by attaching, where possible, a dollar value to his team’s activity. He was able to establish a direct correlation between communication and the impact it has on the business. At last they listened. We now live in an age where budgets are under pressure as never before and where jobs have been cut. Nowadays, it’s all about bang for buck, the bottom line and all those other American-inspired business credos, which are no less true for being clichés. This issue of thinkBox is all about being more effective and making a difference in our professional work. It is written by experts for experts, using research data to support best practice. Our aim is to provoke discussion, inspire fresh thinking and challenge orthodoxy.

Ghassan

thinkBox is a publication from Karian and Box Ltd, 14 Clifford Street, York Y01 9RD. Tel: +44 (0)1904 654 454 www.karianandbox.com © All thinkBox content is the exclusive copyright of Karian and Box Ltd

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Partnership model bucks high street trend

in the news

Facts ‘the bottom line’ on engagement

is how much disengagement costs the economy.

10% increase in investment in engagement could raise profits by

£1,500 per employee per year.

3x faster

is how much engaged organisations profits grow than their competitors’.

60%

In these days of economic doom and gloom on the high street, one business which puts a high value on employee engagement, is bucking the trend with soaring sales. The John Lewis Partnership (JLP) boasted a 60 per cent increase in profits in the first half of this year at £145m – thanks to a culture which values engagement and puts the well-being of its staff first.

with the elected board members being supported by a wider council of partners. All JLP partners share in the profits and it is this high level of partner involvement that leads to greater trust in JLP’s management.

The partnership’s ultimate purpose is ‘[to ensure] the happiness of all its members, through their worthwhile and satisfying employment in a successful business’.

The values of JLP are evident across the business and leaders walk the walk as well as talking the talk.

That is why many JLP employees (known as partners), openly say they are proud to work for the organisation. This is mainly driven by the fact that employee engagement is at the heart of everything the company does.

‘‘

£59.4b – £64.7b

JLP’s distinctive structure plays a key role in achieving this purpose. Every permanent member of staff is a partner who owns the business,

‘‘

of highly engaged employees exceed or far exceed expectations for performance.

Source: ‘Engaging for success: enhancing performance through employee engagement’, David Macleod and Nita Clarke, 2010.

For example, the salary of the partnership’s current Chairman, Charlie Mayfield, is capped at 75 times the average of non-management partners. In addition, the salary of Managing Director, Andy Street, is reputedly way down the executive pay leaderboard. Far from being disgruntled, Street talks of how he was attracted by the JLP ‘magic’ which he firmly believes makes his role more fulfilling than the jobs of many of his competitors.

The values of John Lewis Partnership are evident across the business and leaders walk the walk as well as talk the talk.

In the news

Simple comms best for safety at Olympic site London’s Olympics were a huge success for Team GB, and as a showcase for London and the UK. But they were more than that.

From the outset, the importance of communication was emphasised. The key to success was the focus on doing the simple things well to make sure employees are engaged.

As well as being a major project that came in on-time and on-budget, the site also boasted an impressive safety record that surpasses the industry average.

All supervisors were given training on leadership and communication skills to help ensure that key issues and progress of work could be effectively communicated to the right people. In addition to daily briefing sheets, senior management also gave regular updates on the progress of the work, while encouraging feedback from workers onsite.

‘‘

The results speak for themselves; the Olympic Park site had an Accident Frequency Rate of 0.17 compared to an industry average of 0.4.

‘‘

This was done through multiple channels including anonymous feedback cards, regular surveys, employee representatives, through supervisors and personally to senior managers during their site ‘walkarounds.’ In addition, low-cost incentives, such as breakfast vouchers, were used ‘on the spot` to recognise positive behaviour and senior managers also gave out awards which were publicised in the site newsletter.

The key to success has been focusing on doing the simple things well to make sure employees are engaged.

Behavioural changes ‘have to come from the top’ The spearheading of change programmes by senior leaders can make the difference to improving engagement levels, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development Employee Engagement Conference heard recently.

He explained that the company had already gone through a successful period of cost-cutting and was at its leanest, but he wanted to improve business performance by ‘using people to help make a difference’.

‘‘

Eric Collins, managing director of Nampak Plastics (below), told delegates that the firm’s employee advocacy score had increased from 20 per cent to 81 per cent in three years after he drove a cultural shift at the packaging manufacturer.

‘Sometimes people block changes because they can’t see it for themselves,’ said Collins, ‘but behaviour has to come from the top’. Despite initial resistance from some members of the board who were used to a traditional command and control structure, Collins pressed ahead with staff feedback sessions, which he fronted personally.

A lack of performance feedback, team meetings and departmental co-operation were the main issues highlighted by staff, as well as a low level of employee engagement. A primary focus for the new approach included leadership training for line managers. As a result absence levels fell by 26 per cent, labour turnover rates were reduced by 38 per cent and overhead costs per million bottles were cut by 7 per cent between 2007 and 2011.

Sometimes people block changes because they can’t see it for themselves but behaviour has to come from the top.

A guide to crisis communications

thinkBox

All employees are not equal

We live in an age where multinational companies have workforces that span continents. Our global corporate village encompasses many different races and cultures working together. Young people and their increasingly older colleagues rub shoulders in the most diverse work environments ever seen. But one size does not fit all when it comes to communications and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why using employee segmentation can play a key role in making sure the right message gets to the right people at the right time.

All employees are not equal

Dr Jessica Wiegand

Jessica has a strong academic background in economics, business and environmental management. She has a Masters in Research and, since completing her PhD, has led on a range of Karian and Box projects with businesses ranging from TNK (Russia’s largest private oil company) to TUI Travel and Warburtons.

jessica@karianandbox.com

Is anybody listening?

Knowing me, knowing you

Where employees are, what they do, their language, cultural differences, attitudes and their prejudices will all influence how they react to communication.

Companies and organisations need to take a much more sophisticated approach towards understanding their employees. Knowing how or why employees’ opinions vary enables targeted messages that grab attention and can have an impact.

Combined with this diversity is the wide choice of communication tools available; as well as traditional print and face-toface channels, we can use a wide variety of electronic media including email, blogs, texts, apps, video conferencing, Facebook, Twitter, and intranet sites. How do you make sure your messages aren’t falling on deaf ears? A blanket email sent to ‘all@organisation-name.com’ is unlikely to work. While it is all too easy to press ‘send’ and tick a box, the chances are few employees will actually read your all-important memo. Bombarded with messages, employees become saturated with information; they can start to feel cut off from organisational priorities and, as a result, lose motivation.

2 hours 44%

It’s estimated that around

are wasted each week on dealing with unwanted or irrelevant communication

Segmenting employees into smaller groups, based on attitude, demographics or other information, is not a new practice. External Marketing companies have been doing it for years, creating new products to suit different customer preferences and defining targeted advertising strategies depending on their audience. This practice can be used just as effectively for internal communications and engagement.

Poor communication channels rob small-tomedium businesses of

Acknowledging different employee needs

of their productive time

greater employee satisfaction, lower turnover and greater productivity

(SIS International Research, 2009)

leads to

thinkBox

All employees are not equal

Ready, aim, fire Segmentation is a means to an end, rather than the end itself. There is no point segmenting employees if you do not have a clear idea of how communications can be tailored for specific groups.

Knowing your target It is not enough to simply know how your employees differ; you need to be able to make use of the information. Experian (2011) give an example of a particular segment2…

“Young fun” 40% male, 60% female One of the youngest segments, but 56% aged over 35 Mean age: 38 Both single and married Over half have children Tend to be: -- Manual / factory workers -- Clerical / office workers -- Some students -- Some unemployed This type of segmentation would only be useful if the organisation had a database that collected this level of detail. It would need to be a fluid process to update segments when employee circumstance or detail changed. Segmentation can be a very powerful method to engage employees by focusing on individuality, but should only be conducted to address a specific problem.

Segmenta ti the Acid T on: est How segm

entation is used will depend o inevitably n a range of factors gained by . The valu segmenta e tion shou primary fo ld be the cus. The fo llowing fi are the aci ve princip d test for les effective segmenta (1) Are you tion: r segments distinct fro Are segme m one ano nts similar ther? enough to targeted b be effectiv y the same ely communica tions strate (2) Do segm gy? ents have d irect releva and comm n ce to business unication a ims? (3) Are seg ments larg e enough to and effort justify required to target them the time ? (4) Are ind ividuals wit h in se gments acc identifiable essible and within the organisatio n? (5) Would the organis ation be ca one or mo pable of ta re of the id rgeting entified se gments? 1

aibach et al. (2011) Identifying Like-Minded Audiences for Global Warming M Public Engagement Campaigns: An Audience Segmentation Analysis and Tool Development. PLoS One; 6, 3, e17571 2 Experian (2011) Avoid the segmentation trap. Experian Marketing Services. Online resource: http://www.experian.co.uk/assets/business-strategies/white-papers/wp-avoid-the-segmentation-trap.pdf 1

All employees are not equal

Segmentation in action: Internal communications has traditionally been segmented by business division (74%), grade (67%) or location (62%)3. This has its benefits, but there are also other types of clusters that could be used to target employees more effectively.

1 2

Business demographics e.g. employee location, business area, grade

Personal demographics e.g. age, tenure, gender, nationality

Pros: Efficient, communications structures are usually already in place; news and effects of change will be similar for those within the same grade and business area. Cons: Blanket communication to employees based in a location will not cater for the different needs of those within that location. Individuals within the structure are not identical. If communications are always conducted through a certain channel or segment, you can end up with delays if there are ‘gatekeepers’ who have to approve communications.

Pros: Some targeted communications could be relevant such as new employee and retirement information. Different generations have diverse priorities and values which provide different perspectives in the business world, so targeting employees based on age can work well. Segmenting by nationality can enable communications in an employee’s native language, leading to better understanding. The segmentation can be done without prior analysis as the segments can be relatively easy to define, thus minimising the initial costs. Cons: Personal demographics are not necessarily a good indicator of attitudes and interests (though tenure often correlates with engagement). There are data security issues regarding the use of an employee’s personal information. Care needs to be taken to ensure the communications segments are not interpreted as sexist/ageist/ racist.

Melcrum publishing

Case study: Targeted incentives Incentivising employees is a good method to improve motivation. However, if the incentive does not align with employees values and interests, the incentive is ineffective. Employees with little disposable income may not be motivated by cash rewards or vouchers, as their priority will be to pay bills. Employees with larger disposable incomes, may not be motivated by theatre tickets but by travel benefits or holidays. For more senior employees, it can be the recognition of their achievements that is the biggest motivator. Segmenting employees by income and grade and targeting incentives accordingly could therefore be much more motivational, and have a much better take-up rate.

Case study: Demographic differences in the workplace Few studies have been conducted on the effects of personal demographics on attitude. However, in a large study conducted by Edgar and Geare (2004), distinct differences in attitude on different topics were found. Women and non-Europeans perceived the application of equal employment opportunities as more important than men and Europeans respectively, and employees in professional roles perceived training, development, recruitment and selection as more important than non-professionals. Understanding these differences within a workforce can enable communications to be tailored according to interests. Reference: Edgar, F. & Geare, A. (2004). Employee Demographics in Human Resource Management Research.

3 4 10

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All employees are not equal

Access to channels: messages targeted towards those who have access to specific channels

Employee attitudes

Case study: Warburtons and the green agenda

In 2010, Karian and Box conducted research for Warburtons which aimed to assess employees’ levels of understanding and engagement with the business’ green agenda. Employees were placed into one of four segments based on their responses to questions that gauged levels of understanding of the environmental priorities, and levels of related belief.

Pros: Easy, cheap, channels are already in place.

Cons: Spreading important news using only one channel can result in many people missing the messages. It can miss out key demographic groups and it might be interpreted as a ‘sneaky’ method of communication if not everyone has access. Furthermore, many will get irrelevant communication as there is no way to target messages according to interests.

Pros: Knowing which employees are positive and those who are less committed can enable fine-tuning of communications and incentives that will resonate with individuals.

Cons: It is difficult to create communications lists according to interest and attitudes. It would require interviews, focus groups and/or questionnaires to determine the attitude clusters initially. The clusters would then not easily fit into conventional communications targeting, so there would then need to be a complete overhaul of the majority of companies’ addressee lists. The whole process would take considerable time and financial outlay. Objectivity may also be called into question as, often, you will need to know individual views to target individual employees.

Four categories of employees were found: Green Champions Had a high understanding of what they can do and what Warburtons is doing, and have high belief and support for the green agenda. Adaptors Had high belief but low understanding of what is done or can be done. Sceptics Had high understanding of what is being done or can be done, but low levels of support and belief in the green agenda. Greenaphobes Had relatively low levels of understanding of and belief in / support for the green agenda. The insights and detailed information on different employee attitudes and behaviours has subsequently been used to help shape company-wide engagement on environmental activity as well as targeted local and, critically, peer-to-peer communication.

pulsecheck®

‘‘

Waiting a year or two, for the next engagement survey to form an opinion on employee attitudes is not enough. At a time of change, you need to know what people are saying: do they understand your priorities and do they support them? What are they doing to deliver them? That’s what’s critical. This is why pulsecheck® is an important tool for any organisation going through change right now. Andrew Moys, Director of Communications, John Lewis Partnership

www.employeepulsecheck.com

ยง

A guide to crisis communications

thinkBox

keep calm and

carry on talkIng

Keep calm and carry on talking

Jennifer joined Karian and Box with a Masters from Manchester Business School, specialising in Marketing. Jennifer has worked on a range of strategic and creative projects for clients such as Aviva Investors, BP, HSBC, Manchester Airport Group, TUI Travel, Sellafield and Warburtons. Jenny Hill jennifer@karianandbox.com

Readers whose memories go back to the 1990s will recall a famous British Telecom advertising campaign which featured Bob Hoskins telling us: ‘It’s good to talk’. As professional communicators, it is both a mantra and an aspiration. Regular conversations between managers and employees are where the holy grail of real employee engagement takes place. Whatever you call this type of communication – team time, huddles, briefings or just plain old staff meetings – making sure your organisation actually does it is vital during both good times and bad.

The business case Recent research4 and real life examples from major UK and international businesses shows that there is a proven link between good team communications and improved business performance. It is a lot more than just common sense.

FREQUENCY OF TEAM MEETINGS HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON ENGAGEMENT (FIG 1.0) “The frequency of team meetings at my company is very low”

“The frequency of team meetings at my company is very high”

Highly engaged 5.0

Engaged 4.0

The regularity and quality of team communication can have a direct and major impact on levels of employee engagement. Yet this form of everyday communication is still not given sufficient resources and priority by some organisations.

Neutral 3.0

Not very engaged 2.0

Not engaged 1.0

For this group average engagement is 2.55

For this group average engagement is 4.12

Employees who participate in frequent (up to once a week) team meetings, have an aggregate level of engagement of 4.12 (on a scale of 1-5). This compares with an aggregate engagement level of only 2.55 for those who participate in meetings less frequently than once every month.

Karian and Box research data in this article is based on the views and feedback of over 650,000 UK employees in 12 large and medium-sized businesses participating in engagement research between 2008 and 2011.

Headline finding: Organisations can improve the overall engagement of their employees if they increase the frequency of line manager communication to at least once a month.

thinkBox

Keep calm and carry on talking

How frequent is frequent? There has always been a debate on frequency and timing of team meetings. Every organisation does things slightly differently and many have unique needs. But all studies point towards ‘more is better’. Figure 2.0 shows results from 2011 research across a large multinational. We can see that weekly meetings result in the highest level of engagement but also that monthly scores are good too. The major drop in levels of engagement occurs when employees are able to meet less often than once a month. This can be considered the frequency ‘tipping point’; the moment when levels of engagement start to fall dramatically. Other studies corroborate this finding, where monthly team meetings sustain good levels of engagement.

TEAM MEETING REGULARITY (FIG 2.0) Frequency of team meetings vs. overall engagement

100% 90% Overall level of engagement

80% 70% 60% 50% 40%

of employees have meetings less often than quarterly

11%

of employees have meetings quarterly

point engagement opportunity

61%

42%

of employees have meetings fortnightly/ monthly

68%

40%

of employees have meetings up to weekly

72%

48%

30% 20% 10% 0%

Less often than quarterly

Quarterly

Fortnightly/ monthly

Up to weekly

Regularity of team meetings

A little more conversation It is really critical to have team meetings that are seen as useful and worthwhile by the people taking part. When people feel the meeting is a good one they report higher levels of engagement. The similarity between the scores relating to the quality of line manager/ team communication and the frequency highlights the link between the two factors. Frequent line manager communication enables managers to build relationships with their team and to encourage open dialogue and discussions. This in turn improves the overall quality of team communication and also has an impact on employee trust in their manager. The data shows that employees who have both regular team meetings and high quality dialogue at those meetings are the most engaged. Having only one or the other is not enough on its own. We can see that good line manager communication goes beyond cascading information through regular team meetings. It has to be about having real two-way conversations that are relevant to employees and provide them and the organisation with value.

Keep calm and carry on talking

All quiet on the line manager frontâ&#x20AC;Ś Providing employees with the opportunity to have regular, high quality face time with their manager is even more important during times of uncertainty or economic difficulty. When whispers of change, redundancy or efficiency cuts circulate around the coffee machine, regular conversations can provide the reassurance and motivation that employees need. Yet our research data shows that employees are having less face time with their line managers to discuss team or individual objectives and performance. In particular, a 36 point decrease in the regularity of team meetings over the last three years correlates strongly with lower employee understanding and engagement.

The regularity of team meetings has declined steadily since 2008. Similarly, line managers being seen to communicate on business issues has fallen. Feedback from a number of large businesses highlights two primary reasons for this decline in frequency. â&#x20AC;&#x201A; There are simply fewer middle / line managers around due to delayering and restructuring initiatives in response to the financial crisis of 2008/9. Businesses cut costs aggressively and stopped hiring. They also restructured in a way which widened spans of line management control.

â&#x20AC;&#x201A; Difficult economic and market conditions are making it is harder to reach performance targets. People are working longer and harder to achieve more elusive KPIs. The focus on hitting these numbers is becoming more paramount. In a nutshell, there are now fewer managers under greater pressure to deliver more challenging financial targets. As such, they default to communication by issuing emails, passing on information and/or reducing the time they spend communicating with their teams. For many, both regularity and quality of team communication go out of the window when the pressure is on.

DECLINING REGULARITY OF FACE-TO-FACE TEAM MEETINGS (FIG 3.0)

Overall level of engagement

80%

Have regular meetings with line manager and team

70% Line manager communication on important business issues

60%

50%

40%

2008

2009

2010

2011

thinkBox

Keep calm and carry on talking

Time for a ‘team’ talk While budgets for 2012 are being squeezed across most organisations, the evidence shows that focusing on line manager and team communication is a priority that can provide measurable returns.

Finding managers who are able to effectively communicate with, engage, involve and motivate their teams is a challenge for many organisations. For many managers this type of engagement is not seen as part of the day job.

This may be because of a lack of ‘softer’ people skills, or a perceived lack of time. Organisations need to recognise the fundamental importance of team communication and, most importantly,

do something about it. This involves making sure it is on the organisation’s agenda and that line managers are provided with the resources, support and information they need.

Based on best practice research and experience of working with a large range of organisations, Karian and Box has identified the key factors which determine the effectiveness of line managers in engaging their people.

Team engagement is achieved through… recruiting, reviewing and rewarding the right management behaviours magnified through enabling, engaging, equipping, empowering and evaluating line managers while removing managers without the necessary behavioural attitudes and the potential to change.

Keep calm and carry on talking

The team engagement ‘equation’:

E = r b × (5 ) – b 3

The five ‘e’ factors In the world of the non-scientists, this equation really comes down to the five key ‘e’ factors (set out below). As well as recruiting people with the right behaviours, organisations need to support managers.

’s The five ‘eestions,

these qu By asking ine can determ businesses e ey have th whether th to e c la tals in p fundamen an c s r e manage ensure lin ir teams. engage the

these ten How many of r business u o y s e o d s r o t fac have in place?

1 Enable

• •

Do line managers have a clear understanding of the role they play for their team and what is expected of them?

Do they understand the business case for line manager communication and the potential benefits for them and their team?

3 Equip

• •

o they have the practical tools, D capabilities and resources for team communication? o they feel they have the D confidence and support they need?

4 Empower

Do they have the passion and belief in the business to go the extra mile and to motivate their team?

• •

Do they feel personally involved in the success of their part of the business?

5 Evaluate

2 Engage

• •

re they given the space, time and/ A or technology to bring their people together to communicate as a team? re they encouraged by the business A and their own managers/senior leaders to engage their people?

• •

re they evaluated (especially by A their own teams) for how well they engage their people? Are engagement metrics part of the package of KPIs on which they are reviewed and rewarded (especially where those rewards are financial)?

thinkBox

Keep calm and carry on talking

Turning talk into action There is a myth that investing in line manager communication is more complicated and less measurable than other channel investment, such as commissioning a new employee publication. However, a number of organisations have put in place a framework for transforming team leader behaviours in order to raise levels of engagement. Equipping and enabling line managers with the skills to engage and mobilise their teams is the basis of this approach. (i) Toolkit A number of businesses have provided their managers with the tools to increase the skills associated with communicating and engaging their teams. A practical toolkit can form the basis for this approach, providing everyday support and advice to enable the right team leader behaviours. The development and introduction of a practical toolkit can result in increased positivity across key engagement metrics. (ii) Evaluation Embedding a process for evaluation of team leadership and engagement capabilities is a critical part of making sure the support is having an impact. This could include self-evaluation and 360° team evaluation of their line manager, with personalised reporting aligned to Learning and Development needs Self-analysis questionnaire which generates individual reports for managers to identify their strengths/weaknesses. Specific surveys for measuring success of process, or integrated as part of employee, with reports specific to line managers and their teams.

Case Study:

The following case study from Nationwide Building Society demonstrates how improvements in individual scores for line manager skills led to improvements in overall engagement. Large-scale improvement in engagement (up over 20% compared to 2010) – in particular in perceptions of senior leadership team and communication.

Uplift in confidence that the organisation will achieve the priorities (up 29% compared to an average 3% increase for ‘all’ employees) Increase in the perception of having the opportunity to give feedback on issues that are important to employees (up 24% compared to 3% for ‘all’ employees) Clearer picture of where attention should be focused to support the business priorities (compared to an 8% fall in positivity for ‘all‘ employees in 2011).

Keep calm and carry on talking

Case Study:

Equipped Individual reports also enabled employees to pinpoint where they needed additional support or development. This was the best way of helping to equip them with the skills they need.

Going above and beyond A holistic approach to improving line manager communication and engagement at Heathrow Airport. Heathrow has used an integrated approach to help improve the capabilities and performance of their managers. This has had a significant impact on key metrics. This approach was based on the principles of the 5 e’s: Enabled The first step was making sure every employee has a team leader. Heathrow then established their expectations of team leaders and focused on making sure the critical role they play is understood. Engaged Providing individual team leader reports based on employee Pulsecheck surveys helped managers understand the impact they personally have on the engagement of their team.

Empowered Providing clear direction from leadership was a critical part of making sure managers understand that team communication is part of their daily routine, rather than a ‘nice to have.’ A key part of this was ensuring that managers were given time to communicate with their teams; something they did not have previously. A major focus on this aspect of communication was presented by the business, and led by CEO Colin Mathews. Evaluated Evaluation was placed at the heart of the process to make sure the activities were credible and constructive. Allowing managers to understand how they are viewed by their team and how they compare to the business as a whole provides clear, actionable results. This process, achieved through monthly tracking of a small, core set of metrics has been fundamental.

TEAM MEETING REGULARITY (FIG 4.0) Frequency of team meetings and their impact on engagement

100%

High understanding & regular meetings 15

The direct impact on understanding that having managers who provide, regular, high quality team communication can have is seen in this graph (figure 4.0)

Level of engagement

90% 14

80%

70%

13 12

60%

50% 40% 30%

5 Low understanding & Infrequent meetings

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

Percentage of employees having weekly meetings

100%

A guide to crisis communications

thinkBox

The extra mile â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and how to measure it

Discretionary effort

It is difficult to describe discretionary effort without using metaphors: going the extra mile; going above and beyond; making a difference; making it count. If four in five of your employees say they are willing to go the extra mile then surely that deserves a pat on the back? But beware â&#x20AC;&#x201C; effort in the wrong place can be just as bad as no effort at all. Discretionary effort can only be effective if it is properly focused on the right business priorities and behaviours. Creating the right focus is what effective employee communications is all about.

The extra mile

Nick is a Director of Karian and Box Australia, having spent five years at Karian and Box in the UK. In that time Nick has led on a series of major employee research programs for clients across a range of industries. Nick specialises in employee engagement research and workforce mobilisation. Nick Barnes nick@karianandbox.com

On the right lines Any credible discussion about discretionary effort is linked to what is called ‘alignment’. If employees do not guide their efforts in the right direction, then they will not be able to make a difference to the business priorities, regardless of how far they go beyond the call of duty. Ultimately, their extra efforts will be wasted time for them and a wasted opportunity for their organisation.

By contrast if employees have a good understanding of their business priorities, their role and how they can improve what they do, then their discretionary effort can make a difference to the bottom line.

Mind the Gap The benefits of discretionary effort are widely acknowledged, but there is room for improvement in the way the concept is measured. One of the most common ways organisations measure discretionary effort is through associated questions in employee engagement research. However, the term must be considered alongside employee alignment with the business priorities if the ‘quality’ of the metric is to be captured.

The following example illustrates why: If nine in ten employees are willing to go the extra mile, but only seven in ten understand the main priorities in their part of the business, then just over a fifth of those making extra effort are not basing those efforts on the correct business priorities. The discretionary effort of these employees is likely to represent a missed opportunity for individuals and the business.

I am often willing to go the extra mile at work 90%

I can describe the main priorities in my part of the business 70%

90%

20% “Missed opportunity” (i.e. low quality discretionary effort)

thinkBox

The extra mile

Model behaviour The model below provides a visual way of comparing discretionary effort with employee alignment. The purpose of the model is to distinguish discretionary effort that is ‘making a difference’. It is this refined type of discretionary effort that should be a target for HR, communications and engagement professionals. (Figure 5.0)

Headless chickens

Mobilised troops

Wreckers

High alignment / low discretionary effort

Discretionary effort

High discretionary effort / low alignment

Robots

Alignment Mobilised troops This is the discretionary effort that organisations should be aiming for. It represents employees who know what action they should be taking and then take it. Robots Employees who know what is expected of them and what action they should take and only deliver the bare bones of what is expected of them. What they do not do is make effort that is above and beyond their job description due to lower levels of engagement.

Headless chickens These employees are willing to go the extra mile and make lot of effort. However, they are not aligned with the business priorities and therefore their discretionary effort is not sufficiently directed. Wreckers These employees do not understand the business priorities and are not willing to make any extra effort. They are a drain on the organisation.

How is it calculated? Each point on the matrix is a different business. The model can also be used to measure at an individual, team or business area level.

Alignment index: I can see how my job makes a difference to the success of my business I can describe the main priorities for my part of the business

There are two aggregated scores needed for each point: an alignment score and one for discretionary effort. These two points are plotted against each other on the axes to give a discretionary effort score.

Discretionary effort index:

The scores are created using a set of questions for each axis, e.g.:

I feel like a valued part of my business

I understand how the current business values relate to me I am often willing to go the extra mile at work I am proud to work for my organisation

The extra mile

Spending more quality time Once you know where employees sit on the matrix, what can you do about it ? How can the quality of discretionary effort be improved? The matrix below has been designed to help answer this question. It builds on the model on page 22 by allowing organisations to identify where their main problems lie and, more importantly, points to practical ways of improving the quality of discretionary effort.

High

(Figure 6.0)

Bigger picture, but lack of local/ individual understanding

High quality discretionary effort that is contributing to the individual part of the business and to the business as whole

19%

50%

Poor quality discretionary effort

Stronger local focus, but lack of understanding of where it fits into the bigger picture

Any effort is not based on direction from the line manager or leadership

Understanding of role in their part of the business, but not how it fits into the bigger picture

Low

Leadership communication and engagement

Working towards the right direction, but poor understanding of how they can make a difference in their part of the business

High quality

Low

25%

Line Manager communication and engagement

A key part of understanding how to improve discretionary effort lies in two key drivers from an employee point of view: Line manager communication and engagement For example, the focus on line managers equipping individuals with the right information / support / encouragement to go the extra mile. Leadership communication and engagement For example, the role leaders play in providing clear, visible direction and leading by example.

The matrix uses data based on employee perceptions of communication from their line manager and leadership team to gauge the quality of their discretionary effort. It is based on a calculated premise that ‘valuable’ discretionary effort is based on quality communication and engagement by both line managers and business leaders. Therefore, weaknesses in either of these two areas is likely to have a direct impact on the quality of discretionary effort.

High How is it calculated? The figures indicate the percentage of discretionary effort that falls into each quadrant. There are two aggregated scores needed for each point: line manager communication and engagement score, and a leadership communication and engagement score. These two points are plotted against each other on the axes. The scores are created using a set of questions for each axis, e.g.:

Line manager index: I have regular team meetings with my manager / supervisor y manager / supervisor M involves me in decisions that affect me eam meetings with my T manager are of a high quality Leadership index: L eaders inspire me to do my best Leaders listen carefully e get regular updates W from leaders on how my part of the business is performing

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The extra mile

One small step… Understanding where employees fit on the matrix will help identify key actions to help move most employees into the high quality discretionary effort quadrant. Most solutions are common sense and the following table provides some simple, practical solutions that can have a real impact.

Quadrant

Description

Characteristics

High quality discretionary effort

Strong perceptions of communication from managers and leadership resulting in high quality discretionary effort

Leadership Clear direction and priorities Visible, authentic leaders

Local focus, but lack of understanding of where it fits into the bigger picture

Bigger picture, but lack of local understanding

Poor quality discretionary effort

Strong perceptions of individual line managers, but poor overall direction provided by leadership resulting in discretionary effort that doesn’t necessarily work towards organisational goals

Strong leadership from executive team, but poor perceptions of line manager communication resulting in discretionary effort that might not be targeted in the best way at an individual level

Poor perceptions of both line manager and leadership communication means that any discretionary effort is likely to be misguided

Manager Regular meetings to translate business priorities Opportunities recognition/opportunity to discuss performance and development Clear and consistent explanation of role that employees play Leadership Lack of clear direction & priorities Lack of visible, authentic leaders Manager Regular meetings to translate business priorities Opportunities recognition / opportunity to discuss performance and development Clear and consistent explanation of role that employees play Leadership Clear direction & priorities Visible, authentic leaders Manager Lack of regular meetings to translate business priorities Lack of recognition/opportunity to discuss performance and development Poor explanation of role that employees play Leadership Lack of clear direction & priorities Lack of visible, authentic leader Manager Lack of regular meetings to translate business priorities Lack of recognition/opportunity to discuss performance and development Poor explanation of role that employees play

The extra mile

For discretionary effort to have a positive impact it needs to be high quality. That means effort that is meaningful, proactive and based on the organisational vision and priorities. Measurement of discretionary effort that does not account for quality produces misleading data that damages the credibility of a concept that is a critical employee engagement metric.

Verbatim from qualitative research

Solutions

‘I know what’s expected of me and how my role contributes to the success of the organisation. I am happy to go above and beyond my job description on most days. It helps that I have a really good manager who keeps us in touch with what is going on and the leadership team here are pretty good. They walk the walk rather than just talking the talk.’

Share success stories to celebrate employees who go the extra mile Profile great managers and leaders and use as part of future recruitment

‘My manager is great and really helps us understand what we need to get done here. It’s a great team and we all put a lot of effort in. But if I’m honest, I’m not 100% sure what’s going on at Head Office or in other parts of the business.’

Provide opportunities for employees to hear/see leaders. A blog or virtual forum would be a cheap option, although face to face would have more of an impact if possible Share line manager success stories and profile great examples for internal use

‘Our leadership team are doing a really good job. It’s an exciting time to be working here and I am willing to go the extra mile. I don’t really have much to do with my manager, we don’t really have team meetings.’

Invest in team communication skills to equip line managers Provide resources and support for team briefings Make team communication a critical part of recruitment and performance evaluation process for managers

‘Why would I make extra effort at work? I come in, I do my job and that’s that. My manager is the same, and the leadership don’t care about us here.’

Invest in team communication skills to equip line managers Provide opportunities for employees to hear/see leaders. A blog or virtual forum would be a cheap option. Although face to face would have more of an impact

Getting your head in the game

Simulation games are no longer reserved for teenagers and techies. They can play a key role in helping employees understand organisational strategy, change and challenges. PowerPoint presentations, handbooks and emails can help inform employees, but involving them is much more of a challenge. Like a pilot learning to fly on a flight simulator, strategy simulation games allow people to understand the cause and effect of actions they take. Strategy simulation games allow an experimental approach to problem solving when a real life experiment would not be possible. Such games are designed to reproduce situations where collaboration, critical thinking and evaluation are required. The situation may be simulated, but the key messages, debates and strategic solutions that it generates are very real.

Getting your head in the game

Gordon is a communications professional who has worked at senior level for organisations including Rolls-Royce plc, Sellafield and Royal Mail. A former journalist, Gordon was also NATO spokesman in Sarajevo, Bosnia. He is currently Group Corporate Communications Manager of Dana Petroleum plc. Gordon Welsh

Board games and the games Boards play Board members and senior leaders make difficult decisions almost every day. Such decisions involve balancing key priorities and allocating scarce resources, yet employees usually only see the final decision. This can, at best, result in confusion or apathy or, in the extreme, resentment and anger towards the business and its ‘ivory tower’ leadership. If a business has effectively communicated its strategy, individuals will be able to penetrate the management jargon and understand where the business is headed. That doesn’t mean they necessarily understand why and support the direction and how to get there. ‘Why have they done that? What makes them think that’s a good idea? They just don’t get it!’ are not uncommon sentiments heard when businesses try to communicate strategy in traditional ‘tell’ mode. A key part of this reaction is a misunderstanding of the mechanics of decision making within organisations. That is where strategy simulation can play a part. If businesses can help employees understand why difficult decisions are made by the leadership team and encourage them to consider what they would do in the same situation, then this is the foundation for building consensus around future direction. Creating a shared understanding is the key to engaging people and encouraging them to take responsibility for the active role they play in their organisation.

Using gaming as part of an integrated communications approach can help encourage employee:

understanding of the internal and external pressures facing the organisation

involvement and active participation in organisational issues

consensus that employees would come to similar conclusions

insight into the process of decision making and the difficult decisions that must be made

innovation to help solve key issues or problems

enlightenment about what the organisational values and priorities look like in practice

development of their personal view and of a common language based on the organisational culture and values.

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Getting your head in the game

Targeting the (i)Players of 2012 Using gaming as part of your employee communication strategy is not just about allowing employees to have more insight into their organisation. It is also about using knowledge of today’s workforce to communicate with them more effectively. According to a recent OfCom report, we live in a world where people are addicted to Smartphone technology. That’s not to say that internal communicators have to follow the crowd and only focus on tweets, posts and web-based apps. However, it does mean recognising that holding the attention of today’s workforce requires more careful consideration than ever before.

or presentations where someone talks at them about organisational change or strategy? Even if they manage not to drift off, how much of this information is actually absorbed? While there is a clear place for such communication, solely relying on these channels when communicating business priorities can result in poor employee understanding and engagement.

Providing unexpected, creative and involving ways of communicating is the best way to explain key messages in the most high-impact way. That’s not just the case for the tech savvy. The way key messages are communicated to all employees deserves attention. How often are employees asked to attend meetings

Online or offline, that is the question As with any communications approach, there is no one-sizefits-all approach to using gaming as part of your business strategy communication and there are lots of available options. Gaming is a broad area and could be anything from a simple card game to a fullscale virtual world. A key decision is between online and offline games:

Online gaming

Pros Creation of a virtual world that

simulates the work environment

Instant, interactive cause-and-effect scenarios

Could be made widely available

following the development/purchase of a web-based program dependent on employee access to computers/the internet.

Cons Usually focuses on an individual user experience

Less centred around team debate and discussion

More training-based rather than communication-based

Often more expensive

Offline gaming

Pros Creation of a set of scenarios and

challenges based on an organisation’s priorities, aims and values

Can be, designed to be used as part of a team meeting

Centred around debates, discussions and team work

Easier to develop internally which keeps costs down and ensures the game is completely relevant and targeted

Not dependent on computer/internet access

Usually lower cost than online solutions

Cons Generally less flexible than an online solution

Relies on a manager setting the game up and explaining the rules

Getting your head in the game

Work hard, play hard Until recently, strategy simulation has been more commonly considered an educational tool in universities, in the military or as part of employee training processes. But communication professionals are now beginning to embrace it as part of an integrated engagement strategy.

A good gaming strategy stimulates knowledge creation and exploratory learning based on the principles, values and scenarios involved within an organisation. While games differ depending on the business and on the desired outcomes, there is a core process that every successful strategy game follows (see steps 1-5 below). It’s not rocket science and the principles can be fairly simply adapted for a specific need.

At the most basic level, such online or offline games work because they encourage active participation which consequently improves retention of information.

Game on.

3 Getting started

Attracting employee attention

m activities.

To start the game, the scene is set for players. This is an opportunity to provide context and background information.

It’s possible to use high impact visuals or audio to help generate interest and a buzz around the process.

Guided small tea

♦

ing employees the This is about giv think, question, to y opportunit se. an discuss d analy

♣

♥

Players are very rec eptive at this early stage of the game so this is a good opport unity to communicate key me ssages.

♦

ities are Structured activ e process th ide gu to d designe sed. cu fo it ep ke and

Strategy games are an unusual way of approaching employee communication and they therefore attract employee attention.

Setting the challenge

Drawing conclusions

An important feature of business strategy games is that they enco urage employees to use their knowledg e and experience to address the challenges.

♦

This provides an opportunity to encourage the application of organisational values, for example.

The final part of business strategy games is the summing up and is an drawing conclusions phase. This the important part of summarising the session and the key learnings of game.

♠ Making sure there are key takeaways is a critical part of the success of strategy games.

Making the connection

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Getting your head in the game

Case study:

Winner takes it all…. Strategy simulation games are not a replacement for other methods of communication, but they can be a valued addition to an integrated internal communications strategy. They provide an unparalleled opportunity for employees to apply their knowledge and to help each other learn through collaboration and development. It may seem unconventional, but it is an opportunity to provide a fresh way of breaking through the clutter and to engage employees with your key message.

Undertaking a major strategic review of its future direction, the Royal Mail, a 350-year-old institution employing over 180,000 people across the UK, had a challenge on its hands. On the horizon was the liberalisation of the mail industry and the increased threat from competitors. The Royal Mail faced two choices – develop the options for change and implement them, involving employees at or near the implementation stage; or get employees involved much earlier in order for them to understand the rationale and context of the change. The organisation did its homework, gathering data on the likely shape of its markets, the competition, the threats facing the business and the opportunities available to it. All this was translated into user-friendly communication packs for discussion by employees. Every team worked through the process, which was structured like a board game, and had the opportunity to take time thinking about the im pact on them and their colleagues. Making changes will always be difficult but people had the opportunity to consider the same facts as the real Royal Mail Board and understand the challenges facing the organisation.

Who? Targeted at all employees Facilitated by team leaders When? Time was allocated for teams to work through the game together The sessions took place during the development phase of the strategic review What? A board game played by teams of up to 10 Why? To involve and seek feedback from employees during the strategic review To improve understanding of the situation and decisions being made To stimulate discussion and teamwork during a time of change

Engaging employees with critical business results and performance metrics is a challenge facing many businesses today. Providing simple Infographics allows businesses to tell a story in a way that is more compelling than just sharing complex briefing documents, data and PowerPoint slides. Infographics can be used to help: Improve understanding Build engagement with key results Reduce frustration and ‘Chinese whispers’ Save time If you want to know more about how infographics could be used to help your business then get in touch: 01904 654454, info@karianandbox.com.

An infographics-based performance ‘dashboard’ can help engage employees with critical business headlines and metrics.

The process: 1. Define the business need The key question is ‘what do you want employees to do with the information?’ 2. Identify the key metrics To have an impact the data must be relevant, meaningful and accurate. 3. Craft the visual ‘story’ The visual story will be based on the key data the business is communicating.

KARIAN BOX AND

How we help make it happen?

ECIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPEC

A guide to crisis communications

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o s t o n e Th h t a e d s u o i r e t s my e c r o f k of wor t n e m e g enga Over the last three years there has been a major decline in employee mobilisation and engagement scores across many businesses and organisations. And it is not difficult to understand why. The Eurozone is in potential meltdown, we are living through the toughest economic conditions since the Great Depression and companies are having to work far harder just to stay in business. In the public sector, cuts on an unprecedented scale have slashed staff numbers. Yet it is precisely at this time that having an engaged and committed workforce can deliver a competitive edge and bring some relief to hard-pressed companies. So why isn’t it happening?

CIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPECIAL REPORT • SPECI Special Report

Just whe n was safe we thought it to go bac k in the water…

The cred it crunch that shoo in the se cond par k organis t of 2008 ations major ro has play le in driv e d in a engagem g a declin ent. e in emp loyee Just as th

ings seem ed as usual’ in 2011, th to be returning to e Eurozo ‘business fresh rou ne crisis nd of ma provided rket scep engagem a ticism an ent. d low em ployee Many org anisation s were fo measure rced to u s such as ndertake cost redu program ction and mes to dr transform ive efficie economic ation ncy difficultie s. Unsurp to survive the negative risingly, impact on this has h employee ad a morale. While bu siness lea d ers are a headwind t the mer s, our res cy of econ earch sug indicator omic gests oth s have als er intern o contrib decline a al uted sign nd busin ificantly ess leade to the rs can in fluence th ese. Figure 7 .0

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pronounc the rate o ed from 2 f 008 to 20 decline was most between 09 then s 2009 and lowed do 201 in 2010, a wn combinati 0. Despite already on of facto low score engagem ent for a s r s h a s driven third yea down r in 2011 . 70

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ar over 650 ch data in this ar ,0 ticle is ba se participat 00 UK employees in 12 larg d on the views an ing in en gagemen d feedback e t research and medium-siz of ed between 2008 and businesses 2011.

thinkBox

A guide to crisis communications

The ‘holy

ment e g a g n e ployee m e f actors o ’ y it critical f

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‘‘

if engaged e b o t y l y e more lik the top, regularl r, h c u m s from anage oyee i An empl a clear direction d by their line m them. ct e se they hav and contextuali isions which affe d ec reinforce n the business d i and a say

‘Talking heads’ A clear vision can drive an enga ged

workforce

Providing a clear vision is a key driver for employee engageme nt. Yet many leaders are not delive ring a consistent message

Figure 8.0 shows that clarity of direction has a considerable imp act on engagement. Whilst other factors can improv e engagement, clarity of directio n can help employees turn this into acti on.

A key part of understanding bus iness messages is being able to put them into context and see where they fit with the bigger picture. Having a clea rly communicated strategic overvie w helps employees understand the obje ctives of their team in a day-to-day context .

Figure 8.0 A range of business es were plotted on the graph, highlighting the corr elation between employee clarity on business dire ction and levels of engagement. The higher the clarity, the greater the engagement.

Employee engagement

Our findings verify the relation ship between employees having a clea r vision and being engaged. It is common sense that if you know what you are working towards and you know the direction in which your organisa tion is headed, it becomes easier for you to feel part of achieving the rela ted business goals.

80% 78% 76% 74% 72% 70%

68% 66% 64% 62% 60% 40%

45%

50%

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

Employee clarity on business dire

80%

ction

Top down communication from the leadership team needs to be clear, consistent and compelling, particularly during a time of uncertainty.

A fundamental part of engagin g employees is delivering a clear, consistent message of where the organisation is heading. Senior leaders are responsible for helping create a shared vision for their people.

In 2011, fewer than half of emp loyees felt that their organisation’s leaders set out a clear vision of where the organisation is headed. This compares with 58% who felt the same three years earlier. ction

Leaders should help shape employee understanding of the organisation’s vision and directio n.

But the water is muddier now…

Employee clarity on business dire

Checklist

Figure 9.0

11 point drop

100

in clarity of direction 2008 to 2011

0 2008

2011

thinkBox

A guide to crisis communications

‘Team talk’

tween ersations be v n o c r la u g d real g re Encouragin can help buil s m a te ir e em nd th er you call th th managers a e h W t. n e gagem staff employee en st plain old ju r o ea s le d d u that can hav s n o ti team time, h c ra te is these in the bad. meetings, it d times and o o g e th g n duri real impact e Karian and

ke e p lm ca an d

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mon sense. Th or UK and than just com e or m is is ples from maj Th am ex e lif al and re proven link Box research monstrate a de es business ss ne si l bu and improved ns io at internationa ic un team comm between good n . ce mmunicatio performan everyday co al ic it y cr an of m by this form s and priority Yet in reality ent resource ci ffi su n ve gi is still not s. organisation for more ing’ pg.12-19 lk Ta on y rr s. lm and Ca conversation See ‘Keep Ca rtance of team po im e th of analysis

FREQUENCY OF TEAM MEETINGS HAS A DIRECT IMPACT ON ENGAGEMENT (FIG 1.0)

“The frequency of team meetings at my company is very low”

“The frequency of team meetings at my company is very high”

Highly engaged 5.0

Engaged 4.0

Neutral 3.0

Not very engaged 2.0

Not engaged 1.0

For this group average engagement is 2.55

k’

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nication wn’ commu o d p o ‘t st il other Wh focus, at the f o a re a y e ’ is a k , ‘bottom up m u tr c e sp e end of th important. t is equally n e m e lv o v in t and s that collec n o ti a is n a Org dback mployee fee respond to e keep to st position are in the be ngaged. employees e back

their views oyees to feed pl em g iver for in bl Ena ain is a key dr ch t en em ag up the man engagement le impact e considerab th s ow sh .0 Figure 10 tions where t for organisa on engagemen r employees. ei th listen to to n ar le s er lead increases have a voice el. Feeling they employees fe d how engage ly and al n ic ai at ag d am dr is conducte ys al an on ow ti s has sh n Segmenta organisation y an m ss ro again ac nt finding. this consiste

Figure 10.0

For this group average engagement is 4.12

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They listen but don’t hear… Whilst an increasing number of employees feel that they have a voice in their organisation... Figure 11.0 shows that a significant number of employees, across all of the demographic groups responded positively when asked if they have the opportunity to give feedback and offer new suggestions. This implies that many organisations have recognised the need to listen to employees. The percentage increase over the past three years is particularly significant in light of the overall downward trend for other engagement metrics in the time period. … but many employees feel that their employers only pay lip service to feedback Despite a growing number of employees feeling that they have the opportunity to feed back, employee confidence that their ideas will be responded to has fallen. •E mployee cynicism is likely to be a result of organisations failing to show how employee feedback is used. A common example of this occurs when organisations conduct an engagement survey, but fail to feed back on the results to the employees who took part. • Feedback needs to be listened to and acted on for it to be effective. If employees realise that their ideas or suggestions are not responded to then they will lose confidence in and are likely to become disengaged from the organisation. If organisations are going to ask for suggestions or ideas then they have a responsibility to respond to them. That is not to say that all ideas will be used, but they should at least be be acknowledged.

‘‘

There has been a 14 point decline in people saying they are actively listened to by their employer. There is a perception of leaders routinely going through the motions of consulting employees, but disregarding suggestions and ideas.

Figure 11.0 90

Perceived feedback opportunities up 9 points since 2008

Perceived listening down 14 points since 2008

2008

2011

Opportunities to give feedback on important issues

2008

2011

Confident ideas or suggestions are listened to

Checklist Organisations should only ask for feedback if they are going to respond to it meaningfully. Superficial listening in order to tick boxes will have a detrimental effect on perceptions of the organisation’s honesty and transparency. Explain that feedback is an opportunity for finding solutions, rather than an opportunity to complain and be negative. Being heard reinforces a sense of belonging within an organisation and a belief that actions can have an impact. This can influence engagement and mobilisation. Make sure everyone within the organisation understands this.

‘‘

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Book reviews

thinkBox book reviews

Leader of the Gang Steve Jobs

By Walter Isaacson Apple’s Steve Jobs had a very keen sense of his own place in the pantheon of great inventors. That’s why he gave his biographer Isaacson over 40 interviews to research the book during his final battle with cancer.

Pond Life: Creating the Ripple Effect in Everything You Say and Do By Jon Hammond This book presents a simple, straight forward guide to better communications. Hammond clearly expands the dos and don’ts of communicating with confidence, pulling out 5 principles for creating personal impact. This easy to read, honest book provides excellent insight into better verbal communications, which is key in business. Providing real life examples from his own 25 years of experience, the author identifies the key to great communications is understanding your listener. A great book for anyone looking to improve their day-to-day communications.

Seen by some as a guru and creative genius and others as a dictatorial megalomaniac, Jobs divides opinion. One of his greatest – and often overlooked – talents was an ability to inspire his employees to achieve things they did not think were possible. He told his first design team to ‘make a dent in the universe’. The rest, as they say, is history. Jobs also instinctively knew that companies and large bureaucracies can end up actively working against what they were set up to do in the first place and with that ‘people’s ability to do truly great work all but disappears’.

This bestselling book isn’t just about Jobs. It is also a fascinating treatise on the development of the personal computer. As you would expect, he has some piercing insights into business and corporate life. In the age of the focus group, he was all about providing real leadership: ‘A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.’

Book reviews

Primal Management: Unravelling the Secrets of Human Nature to Drive High Performance By Paul Herr We know that many employees work for more than just a payslip at the end of the month, but what really motivates them? In this book, Herr argues the five social appetites that are key to creating passionate employees. These five appetites are innovation, competency, attaining goals, cooperation, and self-protection and this book digs deeper into how the satisfaction of these appetites can lead

to a more motivated, organised and productive workforce. Using examples of companies that have benefited from ‘Primal Management’, Herr offers practical tips on implementing and measuring these principles. The book offers a fresh way to look at motivating human behaviours to produce real productivity.

Start with the Answer: and Other Wisdom for Aspiring Leaders By Bob Seelert Chairman of Saatchi and Saatchi, Bob Seelert has a background of leading successful companies, and it is from this position he presents his wisdom. In no longer than a few pages each, he presents ninety-four clearly headed guiding principles. Drawing from forty

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos and Luck – Why Some Thrive Despite Them All By Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen Renowned business teacher Jim Collins is back with his latest book asking the question ‘Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not?’ This book explores not only business performance, but also the external factors businesses face. Based on nine years of research, Collins and Hansen explore why

some organisations have outperformed their industry’s index by 10 times (10X) despite extreme conditions. Collins and Hansen explore the attributes the leaders of these ‘10X’ companies displayed, and based on the evidence presents lessons on how to lead employees through times of uncertainty successfully.

years of experience, Bob gives timetested advice on change management, company turnarounds, dealing with mergers, marketing management, leadership lessons and personal career. Everyone can learn from these invaluable insights in leading employees by a man who has proved he can do it.

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Book reviews

Information is Beautiful

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By David McCandless Referred to internally as the Karian and Box office ‘bible’, Information is Beautiful is more than just an aesthetically pleasing coffee table book. It represents a new way of looking at the way we interact with information in an age where we are bombarded by facts, figures and fiction. There are no dry facts, theories or statistics. Instead, Information is Beautiful contains visually stunning displays of information that blend the facts with their connections, their context and their relationships – making information meaningful, entertaining and beautiful. Text is kept to a minimum and the unique visuals are easy to flick through but intriguing and engaging enough to study for hours. While the book is not a manual for creating your own data visualisations, it is a fascinating insight into how powerful information can be when it is presented in a visually compelling way. For more information visit: http://www.informationisbeautiful.net

Reality Check While reality TV has been given a bad name by programmes such as ‘The Only way is Essex’ and ‘Made in Chelsea’, the sub-genre of workplace reality TV actually offers some valuable lessons and insights for communicators. We’ve picked three of our favourites.

Undercover Boss (Channel 4) ‘Undercover Boss’ provides leaders with invaluable insights into the day-to-day running of their business. The programme may be formulaic at times, but the familiar revelation that leadership teams are often out of touch with their frontline employees is a humbling reminder to any organisation.

The Choir: sing while you work (BBC) Gareth Malone’s latest TV series may seem a bit too Disney to work in the real world, but it actually has quite a powerful message. If forming a choir can improve morale in an institution undergoing serious change then perhaps there is something to be said for such unorthodox ways of bringing employees together.

The Apprentice (BBC) Viewers may enjoy laughing at some of the candidates but the programme also holds up a mirror to today’s workplace. Many of us are guilty of slipping into bad corporate habits such as using outdated buzz words (blue sky thinking anyone?) and overcomplicated vocabulary. The programme is a healthy reminder to keep communication simple, clear and genuine.

Will the real Tim Brady please stand up To engage this man you have to get beyond the face and inside his head. To communicate with Tim Brady the individual, you need to know what he is thinking. That will keep changing, so you need to keep asking him. Organisations usually only measure employee engagement annually. To gain real insight into what individuals are saying, you need to keep the conversation going. Only then can your communications really get through to all the Tim Bradys in your organisation. The pulsecheck速 approach enables organisations to regularly measure what individuals are thinking, saying and doing on the priorities that matter.

pulsecheck速 www.employeepulsecheck.com

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“Do less, but better”

Ghassan Karian ghassan@karianandbox.com

In the modern business world, everyone is under pressure to be as busy as possible – or at least to be seen to be busy. But being busy is very different to being effective. And it’s being effective that really matters.

The Busy Fool

1 Measure output, not input

A senior executive of my acquaintance once told me about an illuminating conversation he had when presenting a proposal to a Scottish billionaire businessman. It was a high pressure meeting and the executive could feel he was not making ground. The billionaire eyed him levelly and asked ‘Why should I invest in your business when I don’t know what your senior team are actually doing?’ Feeling the heat now, the executive blurted out, ‘I can assure you they’re all busy.’ ‘Yes, but busy doing what?’ came the reply. ‘They are busy fools’. When someone has built a business empire from nothing and created countless jobs and wealth, it is worth paying attention to their opinion. Here was a man who knew how to use his time in the most effective way possible. How many of us know people who tell us they are incredibly busy. They rush about from meeting to meeting. They send us and other people emails. They set up other meetings which then spawn steering groups, committees, working parties. Their first response to a problem is often to get on a train or plane. They will do anything it seems except carrying out meaningful work that produces tangible results. The concept of the busy fool is not a new one. It is an expression which has seldom been far from my thoughts during my own career. Let’s be honest, there are times when all of us have fallen into this category. Why? Because in the modern business culture no one can be seen to be moving at

less than 100 miles an hour. In some ways, that is a good thing. Nowadays, there is much more pressure to deliver and get results. The problem comes when the activity itself becomes the end result and not the output of the activity. I have seen at first hand how some senior directors create a whirlwind of activity that often produces no meaningful output. Teams run about talking to themselves about themselves, living in a bubble and cut off from what is actually happening inside their own company. In a previous thinkBox (Autumn 2010), we wrote about the need for professional communicators to build an effective working relationship with senior operational managers. ‘Busy fool syndrome’ is often a symptom of not having this relationship. But there are also key issues around delivery, measurement, relationship building and having the moral courage to do the right thing. So how do we make ourselves more effective and avoid being a ‘busy fool’? Here is my three-point plan about how to be as effective as possible.

When you have successfully delivered a plan, that is only half the battle. Measure the output of the plan to ensure it is effective. In other words, if you organise 10 town hall briefings a year, what does that actually deliver in terms of more engaged employees? Put measurement and evaluation at the heart of what you do. 2C ommunicate and reinforce success It is an old adage for any professional group that the ‘builder’s house is always falling down’. You have delivered a plan, you have measured it, it is producing results – so make sure your own organisation knows this. Let people know that you are being effective. It is a well known military maxim that you reinforce success not failure. If an idea is working, do more of it. 3 Do less, but do it better In today’s challenging economic climate, using resources in a targeted and effective way is critical. Being efficient is about approaching communications in a careful and considered way to make sure what you deliver is high impact, relevant and beneficial. It’s not just about reducing your costs, it’s about rationalising and understanding what works and what doesn’t. Get rid of anything that does not add value as it is just white noise.

Making the difference, every day…

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Karian and Box has recently been helping a range of organisations build more engaging, mobilised workplaces. Here’s a few examples of how… Change engagement Supporting global organisational change programmes across HSBC Group and conducting worldwide research into how employees are applying the banking groups new values in the workplace. Safety and engagement research Employee research on safety culture in both BP and in Sellafield has been complemented by new engagement research projects for TNK (one of Russia’s largest oil companies) and Heathrow Airport. Line manager skills The focus on boosting line manager communication skills and practice has led to major programmes supporting businesses ranging from Aviva Investors, Barratt Homes and Nationwide to TUI Travel and Warburtons. Communication reviews Communication effectiveness audits have provided invaluable insights for organisations ranging from the UK government Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to ACE Insurance (one of the world’s largest underwriting businesses).

Sellafield Ltd: pul Nucle secar hec Sa kfet rep yort audit

March 2012

Confidential

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Title KARIAN BOX

Header We combine logic and magic to deliver communications which help change employee thinking and behaviour. That’s why we’ve recently helped the following businesses engage their people…

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